A noise behind them made the trio turn to see Lady Trenton standing with the vicar. Her voice was full of remorse when she said, “I honestly thought Eastbury was a gentleman worthy of your affections, but after this, I can see how wrong I’ve been.” Her gaze softened a fraction. “I apologize for being so blind to the truth, Triana. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Oh, Mama.” Triana walked over to embrace her. “Of course I will.”
“It seems to me that this is a new occasion to celebrate,” Travell announced.
“Indeed.” Gabriel concurred.
Lady Trenton took that moment to step forward. “I’m looking forward to having you in the family, Your Grace.”
Gabriel bowed reverently. “Thank you, Lady Trenton.” With a loving glance at Triana, he added, “I’m just grateful your daughter was able to save my dark heart.”
Triana’s heart swelled with love and pride, as Gabriel held his arm out to her. “Shall we wed, my dear?”
With a mischievous grin, she returned, “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
From his relaxed position on the bed, his head propped up by a bent elbow, Gabriel had a view of Triana’s backside as she walked naked across his bedchamber at Chiltern Hall. Her face warmed, for she could feel those silver eyes boring into her, and she couldn’t help but give a satisfied smile.
It was still hard for her to believe that they had been married for an entire week. For seven full days, she had been calling Gabriel Wilde, the Duke of Chiltern, her husband. Who would have ever thought that the most infamous spinster in the ton would now be the most envied duchess?
She sat in one of the wingback chairs by the crackling fire, as she combed her fingers through her long, tousled mane, waiting for it to dry before she climbed back into bed. She was reluctant to linger overlong, although she felt a brief break in their lovemaking was in order, just so that she could bask in the contentment of being loved.
Of course, the Times couldn’t resist printing another article about her the day of her marriage, but this one was far different than their previous ones.
I am pleased to announce that the Duke of Chiltern was wed this very afternoon in a small, private affair — and who should be the lucky bride, but Lady Triana Abernathy! A spinster no more, she is now calling this former bachelor her own. The happy couple is currently making preparations for an end of season ball to celebrate their nuptials, and I hear it is going to be a crush, with invitations already highly coveted. Afterward, they intend to travel to Italy for an extended honeymoon.
In other news, Lady Cordelia Westchester, the Marchioness of Worthington, has been charged with high treason against the Crown — along with the shocking murder of her husband. A trial date has yet to be set, but it will likely be a quick sentence — and rather brief.
Alfred Durning, the Earl of Eastbury and former intended of the Duchess of Chiltern, has reputedly found the Highlands more to his liking. While it is doubtful he would have joined the crowd to congratulate the newly married couple, this reporter is rather fond of his new circumstances.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
A pleasant shiver crawled up her spine just upon hearing her husband’s seductive voice. That hypnotic, velvety timbre made her tingle in all sorts of places, and brought on a yearning to join him, but she cast a coy glance over her shoulder instead.
“I was just thinking how lucky I am,” she murmured in all honesty, for the life as she currently knew it had been all but hopeless such a short time ago.
The bed sheets rustled, and Triana’s skin immediately prickled with anticipation. When she felt a strong hand on her shoulder; those masculine fingers lightly trailing down her arm, she shot Gabriel a saucy look through her lashes as she let him pull her to her feet. She gasped in delight as the tips of her breasts brushed against his lightly furred chest. It was truly amazing how much she craved this man — and how much he seemed to desire her in return, his arousal urgent and insistent as it pulsed against her stomach.
Her breath came out in a rush as his arm snaked around to cup her backside. He held her in place as he lowered his mouth for a steamy kiss. As his lips toyed with hers, Triana’s blood ran hot with desire. She was already wet and panting with need when he finally drew away. His eyes had darkened with lustful intent, but instead of leading her to the bed, he stepped back.
“I have something for you.”
With a small pang of disappointment that she would be denied his touch, yet still curious, she watched as her husband pulled on his velvet dressing robe. He picked her gown up and brought it over and handed it to her. With eyes still burning a smoldering silver, he said huskily, “As much as I hate to cover up that luscious body of yours, I fear nothing will be accomplished unless I do so.”
She obediently slipped her arms through the sleeves and tied it closed as he held out his hand to her. She accepted him without hesitation, as she let him lead her out of the room where they had lain in each other’s arms every night since their marriage. While it might have been commonplace for the aristocracy to sleep in separate beds, neither of them had bothered to adhere to convention.
The large manor was dark and quiet, with only a few, lit sconces on the wall to light their way downstairs, but Triana felt that the prior sadness that had enveloped Chiltern Hall upon first glance had given way to something much more comfortable and serene. Perhaps it was just her imagination, as she seemed to be living in a bubble of happiness of late, but she refused to believe that such a lovely home couldn’t be filled with joy once again. Especially with the pitter-patter of little feet to fill its halls…
Her stomach fluttered with the anticipation of having Gabriel’s child, for she knew that nothing would give her more elation. But as her husband was currently dragging her downstairs for a secret rendezvous at two in the morning for an entirely different reason, they couldn’t succeed in their quest for an heir — unless, of course, he meant to try someplace new…
The thought held great promise and made her almost giddy, but it wasn’t until Gabriel led her to the study, his personal abode, that she truly wondered what this was all about. He led her to a green upholstered settee, while he went over to the massive, mahogany desk where he instantly produced a key. He unlocked the top drawer, and pulled out a black velvet case in the shape of a large square. He walked back to her, and laid it on her lap before sitting down beside her and casually laying his arm across the back of the seat.
When she merely gazed at him in puzzlement, he nodded toward the box. “I had wanted to give this to you for some time, but it never seemed to be the right moment. Until tonight.” When she hesitated, he ordered softly, “Open it, Triana.”
Her heart in her throat, she slowly lifted the lid to find the most lovely set of jewelry that she had ever beheld. They nearly stole her breath, as she reverently ran her fingertips over the edges of the brilliantly cut emeralds and sparkling, diamonds that she had ever seen.
“They are the Chiltern family jewels,” Gabriel explained. “They were fashioned for the first Duchess of Chiltern over two hundred years ago and have belonged to every lady of the house since. Now they are yours.” As she turned to him with wide-eyed amazement, he smiled and gestured to the priceless gemstones. “May I?”
Without a word, she handed the case to him, where he took out the necklace and carefully clasped it behind her neck, before gently clipping on the dainty earbobs. Once he had set the box aside, he trailed his fingers across the smooth planes of her neckline. “As lovely as these are, I daresay they pale in comparison to you.”
Triana didn’t know what to say, the meaning behind the gift seemed too intimate for words. While it had been unexpected, she knew how much this simple gesture had cost him and that’s what meant the most. He had finally broken down yet another difficult area of his past, and in coming to terms with this complex link in the chain of his life, he pulled her further into his private circle.
The fact
that he’d chosen to put so much trust in her was a treasure beyond any other and it made her eyes fill with tears.
“I haven’t thought of them in years,” Gabriel said on a murmur. “In truth, it was only earlier this week that I ran across them. At first I was surprised the old man had kept them in his study, rather than in the duchess’ chambers or the safe, but then I remembered what you’d said about him truly loving my mother and that it was only his grief that had kept us from being close, as I was a reminder of so much he’d lost. I’d always wanted to believe the worst of him, but these have proven me wrong.” He lightly touched one of the earbobs, seeming entranced by it as it dangled from her lobe. “And because these belonged to a long line of Chiltern duchesses, I felt they could now stand as a new symbol of hope for me.” He paused meaningfully. “And for us.”
Triana was humbled by the fact he was laying his future hope at her feet. What could she do but love him in return forever?
And to show him that his trust had not been misplaced, she stood and slowly untied her robe, deciding that the best way to prove her loyalty to him was to give him everything she had in return.
Gabriel watched every seductive, deliberate movement that she made as she let the material fall to the floor with a light swish. Triana was instantly rewarded with the blatant flaring of his nostrils and the way his eyes smoldered with that rare silver, as desire became apparent in every tense muscle of his body.
But as he reached for her, she took a small step back out of his reach. Holding up a finger, she grinned playfully. “Not so fast, Your Grace. Wasn’t it you that taught me anticipation is all part of the seduction?”
“I think we’re way past seduction, my dear.” His voice was dry, but tinged with humor nonetheless. As he reached for her again, she quickly darted behind the settee, and he lifted a brow. “So this is how it’s to be, is it? The student wishes to instruct the master?” Eyes bright with challenge, he stood and shrugged out of his robe, allowing it to join hers in two pools of forgotten fabric on the floor. “If that’s the case, then it seems I’ve neglected to teach you the most important lesson of all.”
Triana was entranced by his male animal magnetism. The raw essence of his member protruded from his muscular body… wanting her… and she licked her lips in anticipation. “Oh? And what lesson is that?” She inched around the settee, reveling in his calculating, predatory gaze full of hunger as he followed her every move.
“Discipline,” he whispered, right before he pounced. She’d didn’t have a chance as he caught her easily. But then, she’d known all along that she’d wanted him to catch her. He hauled her against his chest, and punished her with a bruising kiss, one that caused her to press her legs together with the yearning that he would soon be between them. “For shame, wife,” he purred. “Taunting your husband like that.”
With a wicked glint of those dangerous eyes, he smacked her on her backside and then inserted a finger into her passage, beginning a rhythm that soon had her eliciting a pleasure filled moan. She moved against him in wanton abandon, but just when she was on the brink of release, he moved away.
“Gabriel…”
He lifted a brow. “Have you learned your lesson?”
“Yes…” Her lips were aching for more of his kisses. “Please…”
“As my lady commands.”
After that, there were no words, only action as their hands trailed anywhere — and everywhere. By the time Gabriel finally leaned her over the back of the settee and entered her from behind in one, hard thrust, Triana sobbed his name and cried out as she exploded around him in wave after wave of unadulterated bliss. When he gained his release moments later with a satisfied shout, they collapsed in each other’s arms, completely sated.
Triana turned to Gabriel with a heavy lidded smile, still wearing the Chiltern jewels and nothing else. “Had I known such a punishment was so enjoyable, I daresay I would have been rather naughty long ago.”
Her only reply was a deep, rumbling chuckle.
***
Triana was finding it rather easy to fall into her role as lady of the manor, having been taught from an early age how to conduct a proper household, but as she made the final preparations for their celebratory ball, she still felt a little overwhelmed at times. However, the servants bowed to her every command, Hannity being a true Godsend and very efficient in his role as butler.
The pleasing nights she spent with her husband were even better, for nothing could compare to the passion that erupted between them. It was something she had never even hoped to experience in her wildest dreams and the fact she was living the reality kept a permanent smile on her face.
She was in the ballroom humming a merry tune as she made a few, last minute adjustments to the décor, having decided on a green and silver color scheme. She was in the process of arranging a set of white lilies in a massive, silver vase, when her brother arrived.
“You’ve truly outdone yourself, Tri.”
Upon hearing Travell’s voice, she grinned widely. “It’s all going so perfectly! I expected a problem from the baker, at the very least, but there hasn’t been a single hitch.” She tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, as they slowly walked around the expansive room. “It’s still so hard to think that I’m the mistress of such a glorious estate. At times, I wonder if I truly deserve to be so happy.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?” he chided gently. “Of course you do.”
She shot her brother a quick grin, and teased, “I can’t wait until I have my own sister-in-law someday. Have you never even thought of settling down?”
He seemed uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going. “I have, but my responsibilities come first. You know that.”
“I realize that, but I just wish you could be this happy.”
He gave her a boyish grin. “Your happiness suits me just fine,” he said in all sincerity. “And who knows? With you out of the house, I might just get some fishing done this summer.”
She gave him a playful punch in the arm. “What a horrible beast you are! That summer really was all your fault.”
They were interrupted by a mischievous voice. “Is this rogue bothering you, my dear?” The duke strolled over and put his arm around her, kissing the top of her head affectionately.
“Naturally,” she replied with a grin that belied her reply.
At that moment, a maid arrived and bobbed a curtsy. “Your Grace, the cook has a question about one of the items listed on the menu.”
Triana rolled her eyes with a fretful sigh. “I hope this isn’t the beginning of a disaster.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Her husband said with a wink, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “Travell? How about joining me for a drink in the study?”
***
Genevieve put the finishing touches on Triana’s hair, having curled and piled it atop her head and interlaced the coiffure with a silver ribbon that matched her elegant gown. “Oh, my lady, you’ll be the belle of the ball, for sure! You look every bit the grand duchess.”
“That she does.”
At the sound of Gabriel’s deep voice from the doorway of the adjoining master’s chambers, Triana stood with a light blush. Genevieve, sensing the sudden chemistry in the room, gave a light curtsy and took her leave.
As Triana walked toward her husband, the dark green of the satin gown, lined with silver threading, swished around Triana’s legs. She’d had it specially made for just this occasion, and she desperately wanted Gabriel’s approval, and by the greedy look in his gaze as he took in every inch of her — from the tips of her kid slippers… to the bodice that showed a charming amount of cleavage… to the Chiltern jewels that sparkled around her neck and ears — she had the feeling he was far from disappointed.
“I changed my mind,” he said huskily. “You can’t go downstairs.” He took her gloved hand in his, and kissed the top, his gaze smoldering as he held hers. “You look much too delectable to share with anyone.”
In turn, Triana took in her husband’s attire with a hitch in her breathing and a pounding in her heart. He was formally dressed in a perfectly tailored pair of black trousers and jacket, with a silver waistcoat and starched, white cravat — complete with his own emerald stickpin and signet ring in place. She raised a delicate brow. “I think it’s you, dear husband, upon whom I should keep an eye, for every lady will surely try to steal you away from me tonight.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Then perhaps we should just stay here for the evening.”
She tapped him with her fan, although her stomach swirled with the anticipation to come. “After all the work I’ve gone through? How dare you suggest such a thing?”
He offered her his arm. “I suppose you’re right.” He sighed. “But don’t expect me to dance until dawn, when I have more promising positions in mind.”
“Duly noted, Your Grace.” Triana’s lips curved merrily. “Although do try and remember that we are the host and hostess, as well as the guests of honor.”
With a grimace, he led her out into the hallway. “Alas, that is my misfortune.”
***
“I must say London has been deadly dull without you stirring up the papers, Your Grace,” Korina Haverswyth said with her usual dry wit, as she embraced Triana on the edge of the glittering ballroom, which had come to life with silver garland and boughs of greenery.
Candles had been placed throughout the room to enhance the glorious scene of glittering gowns and jewels, while the champagne flowed freely amidst clinking glasses, laughter, and the murmur of more than four hundred and fifty guests. All in all, it was the final crush of the Season that had been predicted, as well as the first ball Triana hadn’t minded attending since her disastrous debut.
“But then again,” Korina added with a glance at the crowd, “I do believe most of the ton is here at Chiltern Hall.”
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